Death benefits

The 1987 scheme provides a pension of half the value of your full pension to your spouse or civil partner when you die. Pensions are not payable to co-habiting partners.

For the first 13 weeks of payment, the spouse/civil partners pension and any child’s pension will be guaranteed to be at least the value of your pensionable pay at the date you died, or your full pension if you die in retirement.

If your spouse or civil partner re-marries the pension would stop. 

A child’s pension may also be payable when you die. 

Eligible children include legitimate or adopted children, but not to the children (including step-children) of a marriage which took place in retirement, nor to children adopted in retirement.

Children must be:

• Under age 18
• Between 18 and 19 and have been in full time education or training
• Under 23 and have been in full time education or training continuously since age 19
• Be substantially dependent on you at the time of your death

The child’s pension would generally be 18.75% of your pension. Where there are two or more children, the child’s pension would be no more than 37.5% of your pension.

Where the child is an orphan, the amounts are increased to 25% and 50% respectively.

For the first 13 weeks of payment, the child’s pension, plus the value of any spouse/civil partner pension, will be guaranteed to at least the value of your pensionable pay at the date you died, or your full pension if you die in retirement.